Bible Commentaries

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

Speak ... that they turn and encamp. The Israelites had now completed their journey to the wilderness, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham, instead of pursuing their journey eastward, with the sea on their right, they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the confines of Egypt, but in adopting it, they actually turned their backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession.

A movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of his Heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to pursue, in order that the moral effect which the judgments on Egypt had produced in releasing (God's people from bondage, might be still further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the Red Sea, [ w

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled. Since the intelligence must have been sent to him from Etham, which would occupy two days, and the muster, as well as the transit of his army, would require one or two more, it might be a week before he reached them. This seems to be a natural conclusion: for at Etham, 'which was on the edge of the wilderness,' the king's spies, who doubtless were employed to watch the movements of the Israelites, would expect them to engage in their intended solemnity. But observing that, instead of halting to make preparations for the sacred rites, they took this road, a suspicion that their secret purpose was flight was now confirmed. Sicard thinks that an expression so remarkable as this, "that the people fled," can be fairly interpreted only on the supposition that Moses had previously had a definite route prescribed to him by the king.

The heart of Pharaoh ... Alas! how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king re-appears. He had been convinced, but not converted-overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honour of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to recall his permission, to reclaim those runaway slaves, and force them to their accustomed labour. Strange that he should yet allow such considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin. Verse 6. And he made ready his chariot , [ waye'cor ; Septuagint, ezeuxe-and he bound, yoked the horses to the chariot (Genesis 46:29; 1 Kings 18:44); chariot [ rekeb ], singular, used collectively. His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: a difference is made between the "chosen," specially young warriors, as the word is used (Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 31:8; Jeremiah 18:21; Jeremiah 49:26; Jeremiah 51:3; Amos 4:10). So that these "chosen" chariots contained the flower and chivalry of Egypt.

Verse 7. Captains over every one of them , [ shaalishiym , third men; Septuagint, tristatas] - literally, 'and (three) warriors upon each of them.' The principal military force of ancient Egypt consisted in war-chariots. Three men were generally assigned to each chariot, one for driving, and two for fighting. 'Each car contained two persons, like the difros of the Greeks. On some occasions it carried three, the charioteer or driver and two chiefs' (Wilkinson's 'Ancient Egypt.'). On this occasion-the pursuit of Israel-war-chariots were employed, as infantry would have been totally unsuitable for an expedition that required a rapid gallop across the desert. Since the frontier line on the east was constantly exposed to the attacks of Asiatic invaders, provision was made by the erection of fortified towns or military stations on the border for the permanent maintenance of a considerable number of chariots for the protection of the country. Besides, it is distinctly asserted by Herodotus (b. 2:, ch. 158) that the greater proportion of the military force was stationed in the Delta not far from Memphis, and that the whole standing army consisted of 410,000-namely, 250,000 Calasayries and 150,000 Hermotybes.

It could not, then, be difficult quickly to assemble a large force; indeed, that historian gives several instances of the hasty muster of a numerous army upon an emergency. So that, wherever Rameses was situated-whether at Heroopolis, according to the theory of Robinson, or at Basatin, as Niebuhr, Burckhardt, and others place it, it seems more than probable that a detachment of the Egyptian army must have been concentrated near the camp of the Israelites, in order to watch the movements near the capital.

It everywhere appears from the monuments that the Pharaohs headed their armies in person. The 600 chosen chariots, we have said, were most probably the royal guard, which, according to Herodotus (b. 2:, ch. 168) consisted of 2,000 men, selected by turns every year from the entire army. But they did not comprise the whole force which Pharaoh raised for pursuit of the Israelites. He likewise took "all the chariots of Egypt" -

i.e., as many as could in the urgency of the time be mustered.

Josephus says that, along with the 600 chariots, Pharaoh had 50,000 horsemen and 200,000 footmen; and a classical historian (Diodorus Siculus, b. 1:, ch. 54) represents the great Sesostris as bringing to the field 600,000 footmen, 24,000 horsemen, and 27,000 war-chariots. Compared with such evident exaggerations, the moderate number-in harmony with the suddenness of the muster-affords a minute, but strong attestation to the historical truthfulness of this narrative. As to "the chariots of Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons-one for driving and the other for fighting. Sometimes only one person was in the chariot, the driver lashing the reins round his body and fighting. As to the war-chariots employed, these were of light construction, open behind, and hung on small wheels.

Verse 9. And his horsemen [ uwpaaraashaayw ]. This is a different word from that used, Exodus 14:7. Hengstenberg ('Egypt and Books of Moses,' p. 126), after Champollion, on the alleged evidence of the monuments, maintains that "horsemen," in the sense of cavalry, were not in use among the Egyptians; and also from the general testimony of historians, that although horses were employed in war at a very early period, it was not until long after the time of the Exodus that it became customary to fight on horseback, the horses of the Egyptians being, like those described in Homeric battles, attached to cars or chariots, mounted by one or more warriors. But Wilkinson ('Ancient Egypt,' vol. i p. 292) has shown that mention is made of the Egyptian horses in sacred (2 Chronicles 12:3; Isaiah 36:9) as well as profane history (Diodorus Siculus, b. 1:, ch. 54); nor are the hieroglyphics silent upon the subject; because we learn from them that the command of the cavalry was a very honourable and important post-generally held by the king himself, or by the most distinguished of the king's sons. (See also Havernick's 'Introduction to the Pentateuch,' p. 256).

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

And when Pharaoh drew nigh. Although the distant sounds from the desert, reverberating through the defiles, announced the approach of their avenging foe, the appearance of the Egyptian army would not be visible until they were near at hand, and were seen emerging from the mountain defiles. The impulsive multitude were now in a state of irrepressible excitement, and, instigated by one and another of the more impetuous spirits, gave vent to their emotions in a loud burst of indignant accusation against their leader.

Absence, brief as it had been, had mollified their remembrance of their oppressive task-masters; and the overwhelming dread of famine and death in the wilderness now filled their minds, to the exclusion of all holier faith in the might of that arm which had already done such wonders in their behalf. The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers; but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their departure, they could not think of making any resistance (Wilkinson, Hengstenberg).

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

No JFB commentary on these verses.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Moses said ... Fear ye not. Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine interposition, although, perhaps, he might have looked for the expected deliverance in every quarter, rather than in the direction of the sea.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

The Lord said ... When, in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.

And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

The angel of God - i:e., the pillar of cloud. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them, must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (Isaiah 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favour) to the people of God and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (cf. Psalms 105:39; 1 Corinthians 10:2; 2 Corinthians 2:16).

And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Moses stretched out his hand ... The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion, to give public attestation, in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.

The Lord caused ... a strong east wind all that night , [Septuagint, notos-south wind]. Suppose a mere ebb tide, caused by the wind raising the water to a great height on one side, still, as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall on the right hand and on the left, it would be impossible, on the hypothesis of such a natural cause, to rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition, therefore, is imperative; and assuming the passage to have been made at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind would cut the sea in that line.

The Hebrew word kadim, however, rendered in our translation East, means, in its primary signification, previous; so that this verse might perhaps be rendered, 'the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong previous wind all that night'-a rendering which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the sand in the teeth of a rushing column of wind strong enough to heap up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry path, and give the intelligible narrative of divine interference.

And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

The children of Israel ... It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their movements, together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong and steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested (Joshua 2:10; Joshua 4:23; Psalms 66:6; Psalms 74:13; Psalms 106:9; Psalms 136:13; Isaiah 63:11-13; 1 Corinthians 10:1; Hebrews 11:29).

And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. The Egyptians pursued. From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea.

Verse 24. In the morning watch - i:e., at sunrise.

The Lord looked ... through ... cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians. We suppose the fact to have been, that the side of the pillar of cloud toward the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together and became unmanageable. Josephus mentions a storm of thunder and lightning (cf. Psalms 77:16-18). "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the broken and trembling ranks; but it was too late-all attempts at flight were vain (Bush).

Verse 25. Took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily. The plunging of the terrified horses seems to have thrown the chariots off the axles. This confusion seems to have been produced as if to prevent their overtaking the Israelites, while still in the bed of the sea.

Verse 27. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength , [ l***